Headlight blinker for daylight signals



June 23, 1936.

418. B. MOORE HEADLIGHT BLINKER FOR DAYLIGHT SIGNALS Filed Jan. 12, 1931 4 N p u n a w Patented June 23, 1936 UNITED'STATES' PATENT OFFICE" HEADLIGHT BLINKER FOR DAYIJIGHT SIGNALS 7 l Burt B. Moore, Sioux City, Iowa Application January 12, 1931, Serial No. 508,130

1 Claim. (01. 74-491) The object of my invention is to provide a headlight blinker for day light signals which is simple, durable and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

reference numeral It] to indicate generally'a loco motive or other vehicle. I It is to be understood that my invention maybe applied toa steam locomotive or to one of electric or gas engine type,

5 A further object of my invention isto provide or to any other vehicle having a light which can 5 a means for energizing the head-light of a locobe used for signalling and an audible signal, motive whenever the whistle thereof is'blown, so The'head-light of the locomotive Ill is indicated that in the daytime, blinking of the head-light at l2, the whistle thereof at [4 and a generator will attract the attention of a motorist approachat l6 for supplying current to the head-light l2.

l0 ing a railroad crossing, when possibly he does Awhistle control rod is shown at l8, which is 10 not hear the whistle of the locomotiv'a'this ocordinarily connected with a control lever 20. A curring especially when the motorist is driving head-light switch is indicated at -22 for control a closed car inthe winter time. Even'without ling energization of the head-light l2 atvnight directly looking at the train, the blinking headand for disconnecting it from the generator l6 light thereof will attract his attention, it being in the daytime. 7 15 unconsciously observed from the corner of his eye, My head-light blinker control switch is indithus warning him of the approach of the locomocated generally at A. It consists, of a casing 24, tive. i preferably formed of insulating material and A further object of such a device is to signal provided with a suitable cover 26 together with to the 'brakeman, who may be located some di'sswitch mechanism located within the casing and .20 tance along' the railroad track from the locomoelectrically connected with the circuit of the tive and especially when bundled up in the winhead-light and mechanically connected with the ter time he is likely not to hear the signal whistle whistle control rod l8. given him by the engineer of the locomotive and The switch mechanism mayconsistof pivoted consequently signals might be misinterpreted and contacts 28, spring actuated by' springs'30 'to en- 25 wrecks occur because of this. a i gage stops 32, with a bridging contact 34 slidably More particularly, itis my object to provide a arranged with respect to a guide 36. head-light blinker switch which is shunt con- A'switch'lever 38 is provided and is pivoted o 'nected with the ordinary head-light switch of the 'a pivot bolt or the like 40. Additional openings locomotive and is so connected with the whistle 4| and '43 a p v d d in t Switch v rd 30 control rod of the locomotive that the blinker the casing Z fo C a t p v heme! switch is simultaneously :actuated to closed cirthe lever, forthus adjusting the device to operate cuit position whenever the whistle is blown and properly with different travels of whistle rods. returned to open circuit position when the whistle By means. of a pin 42 and a slot 44, the bridgstops blowing. ing contact 34 is operatively connected with the 35 With these and other objects in view my invenswitch lever 38. Guides 46 and 48 are provided tion consists in the construction, arrangement for the switch lever and the switch lever is conand combination of the various parts of my der in d to e e ith r nd o he guide 46 y vice, whereby the objects contemplated are atmeans of over-center spr n 5 and a link tained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, point- Over-center springs 54 are provided for the 40 ed out in my claim, and illustrated in th ecombridging contact 34 to maintain it in either closed panying drawing, in which: circuit or open circuit position and provides snap Figure 1 is a side elevation of a locomotive aoti e eforshowing my head-light blinker switch applied A dog 56 is piv to the w r nd f the thereto and operatively connected with the whisw tch v 38 a is normally retained n a 45 tle rod. central position by springs 58. A collar 60 on Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the blinker the W s od s ad p to engage the d switch with the cover removed and showing (11- 56 for moving the switch lever 38 whenever the agrammatically the head-light and generator of Whistle rod is moved for sounding the whistle I4 the locomotive. or stopping the sound thereof, as the case may be. 50

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing If found desirable, a guide member 52 ay be a modified form of construction; and provided for the whistle rod l8, such guide being Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of mounted on brackets 64 of the casing 24.

Figure 3. In Figures 3 and 4 I have illustrated a simplified On the accompanying drawing, I have used the and modified form of construction in which a 55 casing 24a is provided having a cover 26a which may be held in position by a screw 21 or the like. The screw 21 extends into a sleeve 29 which is imbedded in a boss 3| of the casing 24a. The sleeve 29 acts as a pivot for a movable contact arm 34a and a switch lever 38a. Over-center springs 35 are provided as a means of operative, snap acting connection between the contact arm 34a. and the switch lever 38a.

A contact 282) is movably and resiliently associated with the arm 34a and is coactible with a stationary contact 28a. By means of a spring rod 31 having a coil spring portion 39, the switch lever 38a may be connected with a whistle rod collar adjustably secured to the whistle rod l8. A series of openings 42a are provided-in the switch lever 38a for connection 01 the rod 3! thereto.

Electrical connections The contacts 28 or 28a and 282), as the case may be, are connected by wires 66 and 68 with the terminals of the head-light switch 22. The headlight switch is connected in series by means of wires 10 and 12 with the generator and headlight and [2, respectively, the generator and head-light being connected by a wire 14. The switch 22 and the wire connections 10, 12 and 14 will be found on the locomotive and it is merely necessary to shunt connect my head-light blinker switch with the head-light switch 22, which it will be obvious is a comparatively simple matter.

The blinker 'switch is then suitably connected with the whistle rod (or horn lever as found on some gas and electric cars) or with any movable part of the controlling means for the audible signal.

Practical operation In the operation of the device shown in Figures 1 and 2, movement of the whistle lever 20 to the position indicated at 20a will cause the collar 60 to engage the dog 56 and swing it relative to the lever 38 after which the lever is moved to the dotted line position illustrated. The springs 50 will cause a quick continuation of the movement of the switch lever 38 in circuit closing position, after which the bridging contact 34 is quickly moved to closed circuit position by the springs 54. Continued movement of the whistle lever 20 to the full on position indicated at 2012 will cause the collar 60 to pass the dog 56, whereupon the dog will swing back to central position for engagement with the collar 60 on its return travel.

On such return travel, the switch lever 38 will be swung toward open circuit position and the springs 50 will quickly move it to such position. After the starting of such quick movement, the springs 54 will quickly open the circuit by pulling the bridging contact 34 from between the contacts 28.

The device shown in Figures 3 and 4 will operate in a somewhat similar manner, the spring 39 causing slight tension to swing the switch lever 38a to closed circuit position and the over-center springs 35 quickly moving the contact arm 34a from the stop 34b and to closed circuit position, with the contacts 28a and 28b engaging each other whenever the whistle rod I8 is moved to operative position in the direction of the arrow l8a. Any additional movement of the whistle rod l8 after the switch lever 38a has been limited in movement by the slot 381) in the casing 24a will be provided for by extension of the spring 39. It will be obvious that the movement of the whistle rod I8 in an opposite direction will open the blinker switch circuit.

Other types of switches and similar changes can be made without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention of a headlight blinker for day light signals and it is therefore my purpose to cover by my claims such modifled forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

Means for controlling a switch from a sliding operating rod comprising a pivoted lever operatively connected with a switch, the end of said lever being swingable along a path adjacent and substantially parallel to the path of travel of said rod, an enlargement on said rod, a dog pivoted to said end of said lever, means for limiting the pivotal movement thereof relative to the lever, means for biasing said dog to a position centrally between its opposite. limits of movement, said enlargement being engageable with said dog as said rod slides for first swinging said dog to one of its limits of movement and then swinging said lever, said enlargement due to the swinging of said lever in the arc of a circle, passing by the end of said dog after a predetermined sliding movement of said rod, whereupon said dog assumes a central position to be engaged by said enlargement upon subsequent sliding of the rod in an opposite direction.

BURT B. MOORE. 

